End Game
by JoaniexJony
Summary: Just a little tag to the finale. How did Steve feel when he landed on the wrong side of the prison door?


Warnings:- Just a little bad language.

Disclaimer:- Not mine…I still want to be towel girl on that show. (I'll even bring my own face cloth!)

Summary:- A tag to the finale. Just how did Steve feel when he was on the other side of the prison door?

END GAME.

The sound of the door slamming behind him was still ringing in his ears as Steve stopped, stood, and stared at the blank white wall.

He'd fucked up.

Lost control of his reason, his temper and because of him a woman, scratch that – two women were dead. Another, Kono, would soon be joining him behind bars. Another of his brilliant plans where someone else had paid the price - he'd ruined her life.

In the space of a day, just twenty-four hours, he'd ruined his reputation, his career and torn his team apart. Branded a murderer, all that lay ahead was years of existing, not living, trapped inside a small six by ten cell. Alone in solitary, the only option for a dirty cop in danger of retribution, Steve wondered who would protect him from the guards, the courts, himself?

Steve slumped onto the small, hard bunk and sat, motionless with his head in his hands. What the hell had he been thinking? The answer - he hadn't been.

Danno had tried to warn him, but the quest he'd started since his father's death had consumed him, turned him into a man possessed. Blindly sent him on a path of self destruction where he'd been so fixated on his own grief, his need for justice that he'd watched all the trailers, but had completely missed the big picture.

Steve now realised he'd been played. All the time when he'd thought it was him making the moves, gathering the evidence, scoring points by snagging Hess and sending him down - it had been Wo Fat who'd been calling the shots. The bastard had manipulated them all like puppets, especially him. The villain had toyed with him, let him think he was making ground, but all the while it was Wo Fat who'd been pulling the strings.

He'd lost his head, his temper and his common sense – what had happened to the smart, controlled, strategist who'd been decorated for his skill? As a Navy Seal he'd never got rattled, but that guy hadn't been in evidence for a long time. Steve didn't know who he was any more, but getting zapped, caught like a rookie by the man he was trying to take down was the last straw. The sharp, raw humiliation, almost too much for him to bear.

His head was pounding, still throbbing from the taser blast to his neck. The burn still raw, but not as painful as the ache in his gut knowing this was all his fault. Worst still, the knowledge he'd let everyone down.

Trapped, Steve was out of options, out of circulation and out of time. There was nowhere he could go, nothing he could do - except slowly lose his mind. His only hope, the only person left out there he could trust to make this right, was Danny.

With no means and immunity, and Chin no longer on the same page, Danno was his last, best hope, and Steve only prayed that his partner could keep his head.

Steve had wanted justice, but instead all he'd done was bring misery to himself, his team and the loved ones of the women who'd died.

Now he was a hated man. Steve saw the way people looked at him, their faces twisted with anger and loathing where ever he passed by. The _careless_ trips that sent him flying, falling on his face. The handcuffs secured so tight, his couldn't feel his fingers. The rough, almost brutal handling by the guards as they pulled him from one room to another. They never actually hit him, they were too professional for that, but there were ways to wound without throwing a blow, and his body was aching, black and blue under the bright orange suit.

He'd gone from golden boy to Public Enemy Number one in under sixty seconds. Branded a murderer of a beloved Governor, Steve was a despised figure. His life now meant nothing – least of all to himself.

He'd failed. Failed his parents, failed his team and failed the Island he'd sworn to protect. He didn't blame people for hating him, no-one could despise him anymore than he did himself.

The Governor had been corrupt, and he didn't regret trying to bring her to justice but Steve now realised in her own way she'd been trying to protect him. Yet instead of listening to her story, trying to find out why she'd had a young woman killed, he'd never attempted to look at the big picture. He'd barged right in without thinking it through, and now…he would never find out the truth.

His carelessness had caused her death, and her blood was on his hands, but locked away what could he do to even try and put that right?

There were no windows in solitary and barely enough room to do more than sleep, and walk a small straight line. Steve didn't mind his own company, especially in a place like this, but alone, twenty-four seven, he didn't know if he could deal.

Since his father's death, sleep had already been illusive but the friendship and support of Danny and his team had kept him sane. Here, with no-one he could trust, no-one to validate his thoughts and feelings, Steve didn't know how long he could hold onto reality. For a man like him, without mental stimulus he wondered when, not if, he lost his mind completely.

Part of him reckoned he deserved to be punished, but not like this. He was guilty of letting his heart rule his head, letting his need for revenge take over all rational thought - he'd been reckless. Maybe he did deserve to lose his job and do time for burglary. Hell, if stupidity was a crime, they could even throw away the key. To land in jail for a murder was another story. To pay the price of taking a life, when that murder was committed by the man who killed his parents – was all kinds of wrong.

He was exhausted, complete drained, and with nothing to do but contemplate his next bland meal, Steve lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.

None of this should have happened, but hindsight was 20/20 and now all he could do was hope. Hope that Danny could find the evidence to clear his name. Hope the justice system worked the way it was supposed to, and hope, that one day he would be able to finish the job he'd started and bring Wo Fat down for good…

The End.

This was just a little tag I started a while back - I hope you liked it.


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